BlackBerry To Expand Application Ecosystem By Making Amazon Appstore Available on BlackBerry 10 Smartphones

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Published: June 18, 2014 8:04 a.m. ET

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Strategic Move Will Give BlackBerry Users Access to the Vast Selection of Android Apps in the Amazon Appstore, While Enabling BlackBerry to Focus on Enterprise Application Development

WATERLOO, ONTARIO, Jun 18, 2014 (Marketwired via COMTEX) --
BlackBerry Limited
BBRY, -2.34%
(BB), a world leader in
mobile communications, today announced that the Amazon Appstore will
be available with the launch of the BlackBerry 10.3 operating system
this fall, greatly expanding access to thousands of the most popular
apps and games to BlackBerry customers.

With more than 240,000 Android applications in the Amazon Appstore
worldwide, BlackBerry 10 device customers will gain access to popular
apps such as Groupon, Netflix, Pinterest, Candy Crush Saga and
Minecraft.

The strategic move also enables BlackBerry to align its developer
program with its renewed focus on delivering the most secure,
end-to-end mobile enterprise solutions, by placing more emphasis on
the development of vital enterprise and productivity applications.

"Making the Amazon Appstore available on BlackBerry 10 devices will
help BlackBerry continue to meet two essential needs: greater app
availability for our smartphone users and enhanced productivity
solutions for enterprises," said BlackBerry Executive Chairman and
CEO John Chen. "We've listened to our customers and have taken this
important step to deliver on their needs, while executing on our
strategy."

BlackBerry and Amazon will be working with the BlackBerry application
developer community to help them migrate their apps to the Amazon
Appstore in preparation for the 10.3 launch, where they will benefit
from the store's powerful promotional tools that enable maximum
discoverability and profitability. This will include Appstore
Developer Select, which provides enhanced merchandising, as well as
Amazon Coins incentives, the Developer Promotions Console, which
enables real-time pricing adjustments and specials, and the popular
Free App of the Day program.

BlackBerry will unveil a new enterprise application partner program
for corporate developers, ISVs and systems integrators, designed to
expand the number of enterprise applications that leverage BlackBerry
10 to deliver business-class functionality and enhance users'
productivity, communication and collaboration.

A global leader in mobile communications, BlackBerry(R)
revolutionized the mobile industry when it was introduced in 1999.
Today, BlackBerry aims to inspire the success of our millions of
customers around the world by continuously pushing the boundaries of
mobile experiences. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario,
BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific
and Latin America. The Company trades under the ticker symbols "BB"
on the Toronto Stock Exchange and "BBRY" on the NASDAQ. For more
information, visit www.blackberry.com.

Forward-looking statements in this news release are made pursuant to
the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities
laws. When used herein, words such as "expect", "anticipate",
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expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions
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differ materially from those expressed or implied by the
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